AcademyHealth, The Child and Adolescent Health Measurement Initiative (CAHMI) and The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation are collaborating together to determine key priorities in preventing and reducing Adverse Childhood Experiences through our health care systems. Through the development of a national agenda on research and action, we hope to promote healing and resilience from ACEs in children, youth and families.

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) were first studied by the Centers for Disease Control in 1997. The study, conducted in 17,000 adults in Southern California, focused on understanding the development of risk factors across the lifespan, and found a strong link between early childhood experiences and poor adult health outcomes. Since the release of the initial ACE study findings, there has been momentum on the local, state, and national levels to promote the importance of preventing and reducing ACEs by promoting health and well-being in communities their families.

 AcademyHealth recognizes the importance of early childhood and the role of health services research and policy in improving outcomes for children and their families. Given the known link between ACEs and health, AcademyHealth in partnership with The Child and Adolescent Health Measurement Initiative and The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation are collaborating to determine key priorities in preventing and reducing Adverse Childhood Experiences through our health care systems. Through the development of a national agenda on research and action, we hope to promote healing and resilience from ACEs in children, youth and families.

AcademyHealth and CAHMI have been working to conduct four interlinked activities with the support of The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation:

  1. Work with a National Advisory Committee of leading experts and stakeholders in ACES to understand current initiatives and perspectives on ACEs;
  2. Publish a special supplement on the science and practice in ACES in partnership with Academic Pediatrics;
  3. Develop a research and action agenda through iterative, crowdsourcing methods at various conferences and through stakeholder engagement;
  4. Produce Champions Communications Toolkit providing resources on communicating and advocating for ACEs on a variety of levels such as local, state, and community.   

ACEs graphic

ACEs Resources

Meetings

  • We Are the Medicine: How Communities and the Health Care System can Work together to Address Childhood Trauma and Promote Resilience
    June 5, 2014, San Diego
    AcademyHealth, CAHMI, and The California Endowment held a special dinner and dialogue event that discussed the importance of addressing ACEs and trauma on a community level. California based educators, policymakers, clinicians, researchers, and youth came together to share their experiences with working on promoting resilience in children. 
  • Promoting Early and Lifelong Health: The Challenge of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and the Promise of Resilience (Child Health Summit)
    June 6, 2014, San Diego
    AcademyHealth and CAHMI convened a Child Health Summit of key stakeholders and experts to discuss innovative ways to address ACEs through cross-cutting health services research and policy.
  • Adverse Childhood Experiences: Evidence & Innovations AcademyHealth's National Child Health Policy Conference, February 11, 2015, Washington, DC. This session addressed the role of adverse childhood experiences in determining child health, as well as adult health. Panelists discussed the evidence supporting systems change, community collaboration, and prevention efforts to change childhood adverse experiences. 
  • One Year Later: Partnering to set a Roadmap from ACEs to Resilience AcademyHealth's Annual Research Meeting (ARM), June 14, 2015, Minneapolis, MN
    ARM attendees were invited to engage in a discussion on our first draft of the agenda on research and policy priorities for ACEs. The presentation gave a brief update on the project and helped facilitate an open discussion. Similar presentations were given to the maternal and child health community and the pediatrics community at their respective conferences to gather input from stakeholders. 

People

Related Organizations